Interpretive Summary: Mango fruit are very popular for their exotic flavor and nutritional benefits. These fruit are grown in tropical regions and must be shipped long distances to reach U.S. markets. Unfortunately mangoes ripen quickly after harvest and methods to delay ripening would extend shipping distances and improve quality upon arrival at commercial markets. Edible coatings can extend fruit life after harvest by reducing water loss and by restricting oxygen to the fruit which slows down ripening. Too little oxygen, however, could result in off-flavor. This study analyzed the effects of two types of coatings on mango quality to see if post-harvest life could be extended with optimal flavor quality.

Technical Abstract:
Two types of fruit coatings were tested for their effect on external and internal mango fruit atmospheres and quality factors during simulated commercial storage at 10 or 15C with 99% RH followed by simulated marketing conditions of 20C with 56% RH. One coating was polysaccharide-based while the other had carnauba wax as the main ingredient. These two coatings exhibited markedly different O2 permeability characteristics under laboratory conditions. When applied to fruit under simulated commercial conditions, however, the differences in coating permeances to respiratory gases were much reduced, most likely due to the high humidity during chilled storage. Both coatings created modified atmospheres, reduced decay, and improved appearance by imparting a subtle shine; but only the polysaccharide coating seemed to delay ripening and increase the concentrations of flavor volatiles. The wax coating significantly reduced water loss compared to uncoated and polysaccharide-coating treatments.